Biophysics

The LMB has world class facilities for biophysical techniques, run by an expert team with many years of experience over a broad range of techniques and in many different applications.

Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies theories and methods from the physical sciences to questions in biology. Biophysical techniques can contribute to all areas of structural biology from expression and purification issues through to high resolution structure and can probe interactions and biology from single molecules through to whole cells. These methods have been central to the success of many research programmes in the LMB. Researchers can access the most common biophysical techniques (AUC, ITC, DSC, CD, LD, MALS, QELS, SPR and fluorescence) and a number of ‘in-house’ instruments for performing the latest cutting edge techniques in rapid reaction kinetics or single molecule spectroscopy.

To help researchers to make their own routine measurements, the Biophysics facility team provides training and runs an annual lecture series on methods and instrumentation within the LMB. In addition, team members are available to discuss proposed experiments and advise on the results of routine experiments; and they can also take part in collaborative projects, where there is a requirement for specialist skills in the design and execution of the work and/or in complex data analysis.

The Biophysics facility is run by Chris Johnson supported by Stephen McLaughlin.